


Greeks and Cinnamon

by TheTimeTraveler24



Series: Happy 27th Birthday, Percy! [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Allergies, Children of the Big Three (Percy Jackson), Everyone is a dork, F/M, Food, Gen, Italian Nico di Angelo, Jason is a Dork, M/M, Nico is Just So Done™, Nico is a Dork, One Shot, Percy is a Dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25979230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTimeTraveler24/pseuds/TheTimeTraveler24
Summary: It's a quiet meal at the Big Three table until Percy tries Camp Half-Blood's spaghetti.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Piper McLean, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico di Angelo & Jason Grace & Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Kayla Knowles, Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Series: Happy 27th Birthday, Percy! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885465
Comments: 23
Kudos: 405





	Greeks and Cinnamon

**Author's Note:**

> Based on something my grandmother said offhandedly about Greeks putting cinnamon in their spaghetti sauce. So I looked it up and turns out they do use cinnamon.

Percy made a face as he swallowed the spaghetti noodles. “What in Hades name is this?”

Nico glanced down at the plate full of noodles swimming in the red spaghetti sauce. “It looks like spaghetti.”

Jason snickered. “Seriously, even I know that.”

“And he was raised by wolves,” Nico added.

Percy, Nico, and Jason were currently seated at the Poseidon table for dinner at Camp Half-Blood. After the war with Gaea ended, the three boys had decided that it was stupid for them to sit by themselves at their own tables. Hence, the Big Three tables were born.

Technically, the tables were still the Zeus table, Poseidon table, and Hades table, but the three boys rotated through the tables and coined whichever table they were currently sitting at “The Big Three Table”.

“Please tell me you’ve had spaghetti before, Percy,” Jason said, bringing a forkful to his mouth and eating it. Immediately, he spit it out. “Holy Romulus!”

Nico put his fork down and frowned at them. “If you two are making a big deal out of this because it’s pasta and I’m Italian, I’ll murder you both in your sleep tonight.”

Jason downed a whole glass of water. “It’s not that. I think the harpies messed something up with the sauce or something.”

Percy nodded. “I’ve never had anything like this before.”

“You’ve never had spaghetti?” Nico asked dryly.

“I’ve had spaghetti!” Percy said defensively. “But this is  _ not _ spaghetti. My mouth burns.  _ I _ can make better spaghetti than this, and I can’t cook!”

Nico glanced at his plate. “I swear,” he muttered, picking up his fork. He twirled a few noodles around the utensil and took a bite. He blinked and swallowed.

“Told you,” Percy said smugly.

“It tastes fine,” Nico told him. “What are you even talking about?”

Jason’s jaw dropped. “No, Nico. I have had spaghetti for years and I’m telling you, that is not spaghetti. You said it yourself, you’re Italian, didn’t you notice anything strange about it?”

Nico’s eyes darted between the two boys. “Um, no? Should I have?”

“He’s not a picky eater,” Percy mused, studying Nico. “I don’t think Nico is the best person to ask. ANNABETH!”

“Annabeth isn’t a picky eater, either,” Jason pointed out as Annabeth made her way to the table.

She didn’t look very amused. “Percy, what-”

“Jason and I have a very important question,” Percy said. “Is the spaghetti normal?”

Annabeth gave him a strange look. “Um, yes? It’s the same spaghetti the harpies have been making since probably before I came here.”

“I told you,” Jason said. “We should ask Piper. Her dad’s rich, so she probably is used to eating expensive food.”

“That sounds horrible, Jason,” Annabeth said sharply.

Jason held his hands up in defense. “She can’t help what food her dad buys. I’m just saying, Tristan McLean probably buys food from the high end grocery store.”

“He has a point,” Nico admitted grudgingly.

“You could have phrased it better,” Annabeth muttered. “I’ll send Piper your way.” She stalked off to the Aphrodite table. She pointed in the Big Three Table’s direction as she spoke to Piper.

“What did you want?” Piper asked warily. “Annabeth didn’t look happy.”

“Probably because your boyfriend’s an idiot,” Nico commented. He ate another bit of pasta.

Piper raised her eyebrows at Jason and Percy’s untouched plates. “So what’s up? Stomach bug? Because I think Will Solace would be the better person to send for.”

Nico choked on his spaghetti. “Do  _ not _ send Will over here.” His face was slightly pink.

“Embarrassed by us?” Percy teased.

“Actually, yes,” Nico shot back. “There’s nothing wrong with the spaghetti.”

Piper’s head snapped to look at Jason. “Did you call me over here because you think something’s wrong with the food?”

“It tastes funny,” Jason cried. “Percy agrees with me.”

Percy nodded feverently. “Come on, Piper. Please tell us you noticed something wrong with the spaghetti.”

“Actually, it’s one of the best spaghetti meals I’ve had,” Piper said matter-of-factly. “A lot of restaurants I’ve been to cook the sauce with meatballs, so I don’t usually get the option to have it. What do you think is wrong with it?”

“It’s spicy,” Percy complained.

“My tongue is tingly,” Jason added.

Piper sighed. “You two are probably allergic to tomatoes or something. Sorry, Nico. I’m getting Will.” She disappeared towards the Apollo table before Nico could protest.

“I love spaghetti,” Percy said, staring at his plate. “And pizza. And ketchup. I cannot be allergic to tomatoes.”

“Allergies can develop over time,” Nico said, continuing to munch on his spaghetti. “You can wake up one day an be allergic to your favorite food.”

“Who told you that?” Percy demanded. “Will?”

“Kayla,” Nico corrected.

“What about my sister?” a voice asked.

They looked up to see a worried Will.

“Kayla told me about allergies developing over time,” Nico said quickly.

Jason blew out a breath. “But we’re demigods,” he said. “Can we even get allergies?”

“I’m allergic to needles,” Nico volunteered.

Will gave him a look. “No, you aren’t.”

“I am after you shoved twenty different needles in my arm,” Nico fired back.

“I vaccinated you because you hadn’t seen the doctor since the 1930s,” Will said exasperatedly. “I probably saved your life.”

Nico crossed his arms. “I have ambrosia and nectar for that.”

“That’s a waste of godly food when a vaccine can immunize you,” Will said. He looked at Jason and Percy. “Piper said she thinks you might be allergic to tomatoes?”

“I’m not allergic to tomatoes,” Percy said.

Will grabbed his hand and closed his eyes. He let go after a few seconds. “No, you aren’t allergic to tomatoes. You are allergic to shellfish though, did you know that?”

“I don’t eat seafood,” Percy muttered. “It’s weird.”

Will smiled. “I wouldn’t start now then.” He turned to Jason. “Your turn.” He took Jason’s hand and repeated what he’d done with Percy.

“What’s up, doc?” Percy joked.

Will frowned. “Jason’s not allergic to tomatoes either. Why did Piper think you two were allergic?”

“They said the food was spicy and their tongues tingled,” Nico muttered.

“You aren’t allergic to tomatoes or the herbs,” Will said. “I don’t know why you- Oh…” he trailed off with understanding dawning in his eyes. “Have either of you had spaghetti at Camp before?” he asked. “Camp Half-Blood, that is.”

Percy shook his head. “No. Why?”

“I’ve had it at Camp Jupiter,” Jason said. “Not here though.”

Will looked like he was trying not to laugh. “This is a Greek camp,” he grinned.

Nico gave Will a look that clearly said he’d lost his mind. “Thanks. I thought it was a Christian camp. Now I know why we’ve been worshiping multiple gods. I thought I was going crazy for a minute.”

“Haha,” Will said. “It’s a Greek camp, and we’re all Greek, right? So some of the food is prepared the Greek way.”

“Spaghetti is Italian,” Percy said. “Like Nico.”

Nico exhaled loudly.

“Yes, but Greeks make their spaghetti sauce with cinnamon,” Will said. “The sauce we use is also made with cinnamon.”

Percy stared at his plate. “Cinnamon?”

“Yes,” Will said. “Cinnamon.”

Nico gave the spaghetti a once over. “Huh. I just figured that spaghetti evolved over time or something.” He shrugged and went back to eating.

“So you  _ did _ notice something!” Jason said triumphantly.

Nico blinked. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “Like a few years ago when I was  _ eleven _ . I’ve had the spaghetti here before unlike you two. How is this the first time you’ve eaten the spaghetti here?”

Percy pushed his plate away with a sour look. “Do they make American spaghetti? Or Italian spaghetti? Greek spaghetti sucks.”

“I hate you,” Nico muttered, standing up.

Will pushed him back down. “No way, di Angelo. You’ve been out of the infirmary for less than a week. You barely ate. If anything from those three days sticks with you, it’s going to be that you need to eat to regain-

“-my strength,” Nico finished. “Yeah, yeah, I know,” he sighed. He resumed picking at his pasta.

Will looked satisfied and left, returning to the Apollo table.

“Is that why you didn’t want Will here?” Jason asked.

“Bossing me around and forcing me to eat,” Nico grumbled. “He’s annoying. For once, I’d actually like to be able to scare someone off with my dark son of Hadesness.”

“Well, you can have my spaghetti,” Percy said. “I’ll just have my salad.”

“You eat salad?” Nico asked in surprise.

Percy stabbed at the lettuce with a new fork. “I know exactly what’s in my salad. Lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and croutons.” He ate a bite aggressively.

“You’re taking way more offense to this than you needed to,” Nico said.

“Who puts cinnamon in spaghetti sauce, Nico?” Percy demanded. “You should be outraged. It’s a dishonor to your people!”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Grow up, Percy. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. I happen to like ‘Greek’ spaghetti, so I’ll eat it.”

Percy shook his head sadly. “Spaghetti has been ruined forever.” He swept dramatically out of the dining pavilion.

“Are you going to do that too?” Nico asked without looking at Jason.

Jason shook his head. “Nah. I’m fine. It wasn’t  _ that _ bad. I wasn’t expecting the cinnamon, I guess. Percy’s really passionate about food.”

“His whole family is,” Nico said. “Usually about blue food.”

“Blue food?” Jason asked.

Nico sighed. “I don’t even know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have never had "Greek spaghetti" so I can't actually say if it tastes bad (to me anyway), but I thought this would be a funny concept.
> 
> So I meant no disrespect to anyone who likes spaghetti sauce with cinnamon.


End file.
